Edmonton School Support Workers Vote to Strike Amid Wage Concerns

Support staff with Edmonton Public Schools have overwhelmingly voted in favour of strike action.  CUPE Local 3550 representing the support staff says the vote was 97 per cent in favour of a strike mandate, but the results have not yet been ratified.

 The union says they are seeking better pay and improved working conditions after rejecting a proposed wage increase of 2.75 percent over four years. According to Local 3550 President Mandy Lamoureaux, the offer equates to only a 70-cent increase per hour over the contract’s duration, which she called insufficient.

The vote mirrors the ongoing labour dispute in Fort McMurray, where support staff at both public and Catholic schools remain deadlocked in an ongoing contract dispute. On September 17, 2024 support staff with both the Fort McMurray Public and Catholic school divisions were ready to hit the picket lines, but their plans were halted after the provincial government intervened, establishing a Disputes Inquiry Board (DIB) to review the matter.

Rory Gill, president of CUPE Alberta, visited Fort McMurray last month and expressed concerns, saying the provincial government was overstepping its boundaries in labour negotiations by implementing a Disputes Inquiry Board to delay a strike.

A source familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity, worries that the government will attempt to delay a potential strike by implementing another Disputes Inquiry Board similar to what happened in Fort McMurray. CUPE Local 3550 represents over 4,000 support staff at Edmonton Public Schools. The union has not yet indicated when they might walk off the